Supporting our high-achieving students

High-achieving students in Victoria will soon have access to a new state-of-the-art facility, thanks to the Victorian Government.

Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino announced the Victorian Budget 2018/19 includes $27.5 million to build a new, co-educational Centre for Higher Education Studies next to Melbourne High School in South Yarra

As part of this new facility, the Government will support students by delivering Higher Education Studies in conjunction with universities, offering a range of VCE extension programs specifically designed for high achievers. We’ll also help lift the quality of teaching with a learning hub that will provide hands-on professional development for the workforce.

The Centre will have state-of-the-art classrooms, specialist facilities as well as lecture spaces and a theatre.

Students will remain enrolled at their existing schools but can attend the Centre for additional courses.

Detailed consultation with schools, students and universities and the Victorian Department of Education and Training will occur over the course of the year to inform the final curriculum and access arrangements to ensure as many students as possible benefit from the facility.

We will also create a digital learning component for high-achieving students in regional Victoria.

A recent report from the Auditor General found that between 10 and 50 per cent of high-achieving students never reach their potential. This new Centre will help change that, and support more students to become their best.

The Budget also includes ongoing funding of $7.1 million for the new Centre over the next five years, as well as $4.6 million in ongoing funding to operate it.

The Victorian Government is also reviewing long-term select entry provision for girls across Victoria as well as looking at options for creating more capacity at Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School to address the fact that last year almost 56 per cent of the 4,000 select entry places in Victoria went to boys.

The Victorian Government is building the Education State so every Victorian student can get a great education and every community has access to a great local school.

This includes an unprecedented $3.8 billion investment to improve classrooms, upgrade facilities and build new schools across the state. This school building boom has delivered more than 1,300 school upgrades and 70 new school projects across the state, supporting more than 5,000 construction jobs for Victorians.